WHOLEWHEAT pasta can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet that will provide you with great versatility when it comes to nutritional value.
It is a great source of carbohydrate which is the major energy source within our bodies. It provides fibre too, which keep our bowels healthy as well as our guts in general.
Wholewheat pasta has good versatility in terms of minerals and contains potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. These help with energy, communication, sleep, the immune system, collagen and calcium storage in bone.
It is also a good sources of B-vitamins that include B1, B2, B3 and B9. These help with energy metabolism, red blood cells, our DNA blueprint and brain function.
Evidence is growing that wholegrains in your pasta can reduce the risk of many common diseases. So the advice is always to go for wholewheat pasta as it has more nutritional value than the more popular white versions.
In general, you should try and aim for about three portions of wholegrains per day, which includes pasta and other starches like bread, rice, noodles, couscous, oats etc. A portion size of pasta is 75g dry weight so it’s good to invest in a set of kitchen scales.
Home Bargains sell a 500g pack of wholewheat pasta for £1, which is the cheapest around.
•Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentive nutrition@gmail.com
